Working as a contractor is a lucrative profession. The need for freelancers has increased in recent years. The compensation is substantial. Working with your hands and solving problems are regular occurrences. You get to participate on a group. Numerous abilities are made available to you. The purpose of this piece is to provide information on working for a company that specializes in underground utilities and excavation. Who’s heard of it? This contractor specializes in building and maintaining water and sewage treatment plants, as well as water and sewage distribution networks. Why not give it a shot if you don’t mind working near a sewer? Underground utility contractors and excavation contractors deal with the extension of utility lines from main systems to the point of termination and including the meter location for single-family homes, multi-family dwellings, and commercial buildings. This company specializes in the installation of underground sleeves, crossings, and easements for parking lots and roadways. However, this company is not permitted to install any fire sprinkler pipe.
Excavation companies conduct things like grading, trenching, and more to get sites ready for construction. They work with significant machinery and equipment. This sort of contractor uses heavy machinery to excavate the area around an existing building in order to lay a new foundation, and then performs a series of compaction tests to ensure the soil is stable. After the footers and stem wall of the new foundation have been set, he or she will backfill the area surrounding it. Are you a veteran interested in a lucrative profession in the construction of subterranean utilities and infrastructure? With the support of VA education benefits, you may get started on a rewarding career path that will provide you with employment stability, high earning potential, and the chance to make a positive impact in your community. Learn how to use your VA education funds to pursue a career in underground utilities and excavation here. Are you interested in investigating this promising field of work? So, shall we?
Experts in underground utility and excavation work on water, sewage, and gas lines and other essential infrastructure that runs beneath the ground. For other projects, they also undertake excavation work and run heavy machinery.
Common Services Provided By an Underground Utility and Excavation Professional
Professionals in the field of underground utility and excavation lay and repair a wide variety of subterranean utility systems and ensure their continued operation. Piped water, natural gas, sewage, and electricity are all examples of such infrastructures. Underground utility and excavation companies often offer the following services:
Contractors specializing in underground utilities and excavation will first excavate and grade the site before building can begin.
Trenching Using specialized equipment and techniques, they create underground channels for utility lines, pipelines, and cables.
These companies specialize in the installation of subterranean infrastructure, including water and gas mains, sewage and electrical lines, and conduits.
Contractors specializing in underground utilities and excavation also fix and maintain utilities.
In addition to providing foundation, footing, and basement excavation services, they also work on a wide range of other construction projects.
To make way for new building, certain companies that specialize in subterranean utilities and excavation also do demolition.
These experts are on call to give immediate assistance in the case of a problem with an underground utility, such as a gas leak or a broken water main.
In order to establish and maintain subterranean utility systems, the construction industry relies on the services provided by underground utility and excavation companies.
The Future of Utility Locating
Looking into the future of any industry is mostly speculative, yet it is necessary to do so.
There has been a tremendous technical advancement in the past two decades, and now we are witnessing a confluence of these many technologies. Improvements in battery life and size have made drones an attractive option for low-cost, unmanned air transportation. Using thermographic and magnetic imaging, GPRS can locate subsurface cavities, leaks, and utilities from a great height. In addition, drones with cameras may take pictures of building facades that would be hard to get any other way.
When trying to predict how utility finding and marking will develop in the future, it is important to take legislation into account. Hiring a private utility finder might become legally required because to the high cost of repairs and the life-or-death consequences of hitting utilities. It is possible that SUE services will be required during some excavation or building activities as a means of damage control.
Electrical and communication lines are often stretched from towers and poles, while water and sewer lines are buried underground. Future plans may involve burying these wires to eliminate potential fire and damage threats.
Technology for finding underground utilities keeps improving. As cloud computing becomes increasingly integral to our daily lives, we may anticipate that databases will one day serve as the principal repository for information on utility lines and geographic locations.
The growing importance of cloud computing also suggests that databases will replace physical maps as the default destination for storing information about utility lines and other kinds of location data in the not-too-distant future. Accessing data from several departments or businesses might be difficult at present. Eventually, information on the locations of utilities might be stored and collected by a single entity. Using either a centralized database or more decentralized approaches, private utility locators will likely collect and handle this information.
Infinitely useful to facility owners and administrators, these databases would be a treasure trove of data.
There is no way to know for sure what the future holds for utilities and underground utility locating, but it is obvious that our methods will change as technology develops.
Salary of an underground utility and excavation professional
Experience, geography, and the specifics of the job all play a role in determining the compensation range for underground utility and excavation experts. As of May 2020, the median annual salary for construction equipment operators, which includes excavation workers, was $48,160, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The lowest 10% made less than $31,780, while the top 10% made over $86,120.
However, because the BLS lumps them together with construction equipment operators, these numbers may not reflect the actual compensation of underground utility and excavation contractors. Actual salaries for this profession may be greater or lower than the BLS median annual wage, which is calculated from a variety of criteria including location.
However, depending on expertise and the nature of the job being performed, many experts in the underground utility and excavation industries are paid on an hourly basis, with rates ranging from $15 to $50 or more. Some contractors may be paid on a per-project or per-contract basis instead of an hourly wage.
How to Get a Job in the Field of Underground Utilities and Excavation
A high school diploma or its equivalent is often required for entry-level plumbing contractor positions. Then, you may get the training you need by enrolling in a plumbing apprenticeship program or going to a technical or community college. An apprenticeship is a formal training program that combines on-the-job experience with classroom study and can last anywhere from a few years to a decade or more. Alternately, you can acquire an associate degree in plumbing after attending a two-year program at a trade school or community college.
After finishing your plumbing school, you’ll need to get some actual plumbing experience. A plumbing contractor’s license is often not issued until the applicant has worked as a journeyman plumber for at least two years.
A plumbing contractor’s license is required by the state in which one resides. In most cases, you’ll need to be at least 18 years old, have completed an approved training program, and passed an examination to become a licensed plumber in your state. Some jurisdictions further need for evidence of liability insurance and background investigations. The procedure may be summarized as follows:
Perform a history check.
Before giving contractor licenses, several states conduct background checks. Background checks may also look into whether or not you have any outstanding criminal convictions or civil judgements or liens. To satisfy this requirement in Florida, applicants must utilize a service recognized by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) to process electronic fingerprints. The Florida Electronic Fingerprinting Service is a widely utilized authorized provider.
U.S. Small Business Administration, “State Licenses and Permits,” is a good resource for learning more.
Submission of an Application for a License
A license application can be submitted when a background check has been successfully completed. Usually, this entails submitting an application and paying the associated price. Each state has its own set of regulations and processes for acquiring a license.
Check out “State Contractor License Requirements” by the National Utility Contractors Association and “State Licenses and Permits” by the U.S. Small Business Administration for further information.
Prepare yourself intellectually for the test.
In order to receive a contractor’s license in most states, one must first pass an examination. Safety precautions, excavation methods, and state rules are frequent subjects in the test. The state licensing board or relevant trade groups are good places to look for relevant readings and online resources.
Check out the “NUCA Utility Contractor Certification Program,” “Certification Programs,” and “Construction Professional Designations” from the National Utility Contractors Association, the “National Association of Sewer Service Companies,” and the “Associated Builders and Contractors” for additional information.
Get Your License
You can get your license to work as an underground utility and excavation contractor once you’ve passed the exam and fulfilled all other prerequisites. Maintaining your license will necessitate regular renewal, and in certain jurisdictions, continuing education credits are also necessary.
Check out “State Contractor License Requirements” by the National Utility Contractors Association and “State Licenses and Permits” by the U.S. Small Business Administration to learn more.
You may launch your plumbing contracting firm once you have obtained your contractor’s license. Among these tasks include establishing a legal presence for your company, securing any required licenses, and preparing a physical location for your operations.
You need a steady stream of customers if you want to make it as a plumber. Networking, promotion, and excellent service to clients are all effective methods.
Use your Veteran Affairs education funds to train for a career in the field of underground utilities and excavation.
Veterans who wish to use their GI Bill® benefits to further their education in the field of subsurface utilities and excavation have access to several resources. Veterans can use a variety of VA programs to help them pursue careers in the utilities and excavation industries.
Veterans Benefits Act of 2009 Veterans who served after September 10, 2001 are eligible for up to 36 months of educational benefits under this program. This perk may be utilized for a variety of different kinds of training and schooling, including subterranean utility and excavation instruction.
Employment and Rehabilitation Services: Veterans with impairments resulting from their military service are eligible for the program’s educational and career counseling services. Training, licensing, and certification costs may be covered by the program.
Veterans can participate in apprenticeships and on-the-job training through the Military Apprenticeship Program (MAP), which offers opportunities in fields such as underground utilities and excavation.
For the NRD, see National Resource Database. This guide lists resources for underground utility and excavation training and instruction that are accessible to veterans and their families.
Last Words
Veterans can become competent underground utility and excavation workers if they take use of these resources. Veterans may also be eligible for a wider range of professional credentials, such as certificates, licenses, and registrations, depending on factors including region and industry.
Underground utility and excavation specialists are in high demand and offer a stable and lucrative career path for veterans. Veterans can get the knowledge and training they need to practice legally and profitably in this sector by taking advantage of VA educational benefits. This kind of employment allows for a wide range of specializations, from installing utilities to excavating and grading land for new buildings. Veterans can feel secure in their employment and proud of the contributions they provide to society at large.
